Filled with uncertainty

Thursday

Jun 27, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 27, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Steve Walentik

Don't expect anybody to look back with wonder at the 2013 NBA draft class.

Unlike a decade ago when the league welcomed in superstars LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade in the first five picks, this year's crop of prospects doesn't figure to produce any franchise players. There's some argument about whether there are even any All-Stars in its ranks.

"The problem with this draft isn't so much that it's a bad draft, it's just that the teams at the top of the draft are not in a position where they're going to be able to add someone like LeBron James," said Matt Kamalsky, the director of operations at DraftExpress.com. "For what it's worth, that's always going to be the defining characteristic as to whether we consider it a strong or a weak draft, is what's the star power like, and this draft doesn't have that."

But there also is no shortage of prospects capable of stepping into meaningful roles on NBA teams.

"We all know that it's one of the deepest drafts around," said Ryan Blake, the NBA's senior director of scouting services. "When that 60th pick is done, you're going to have every employee from NBA teams on the phone calling agents trying to get guys into their camps."

The combination of depth without any obvious stars makes this one of the more difficult drafts to project.

I know teams won't heed my advice, but here are the players I would target  and where  as the first round gets underway at 6:30 tonight from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers  Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown: If, as many have said, there are no future stars in this year's draft pool, why shouldn't Cleveland just go for the safest pick? I believe that's Porter, the one-time Missouri recruiting target from Sikeston who was the Big East Player of the Year. He brings ideal size and a versatile set of skills to the small forward position, which just so happens to be the Cavs' biggest need.

2. Orlando Magic  Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas: I know the odds of one team passing on Kentucky's Nerlens Noel aren't great, and there's virtually no way two teams will do so. But I think they should. McLemore's athleticism and offensive skills give him a higher ceiling than Noel, who weighed only 206 pounds at the combine, is raw offensively and is coming off a significant knee injury. Shooting guard is also a bigger need than center with Nikola Vucevic in the mix.

3. Washington Wizards  Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky: All the concerns I pointed out with Noel are real, but I also wouldn't fault any team for taking him and don't think he should get past the Wizards here. At worst, he should develop into a difference-making defensive presence because of his athleticism and instincts. The potential is there to improve offensively, as well.

4. Charlotte Bobcats  Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV: Charlotte needs help everywhere after going 21-61, the second-worst record in the league, so the Bobcats might as well swing big and see what happens. Bennett has one of the higher ceilings in the draft because of his ability to score inside and out coupled with his physical assets. He figures to be tough to guard in the NBA game.

5. Phoenix Suns  Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana: Phoenix is another team with plenty of holes to plug, and Oladipo get his hands in a few. He's a low-risk pick who will help immensely on the defensive end, can handle the ball and is difficult to guard. He also plays with rare intensity. I wonder if he's really as good a long-range shooter as he looked last season.

6. New Orleans Pelicans  Trey Burke, PG, Michigan: I've heard all the concerns about Burke's athletic ability, but I also can't get the image of him chasing down Louisville point guard Peyton Siva and rejecting his shot at the rim with what inexplicably was called a foul in the national title game. There's also a reason Burke won national Player of the Year honors. He did it all as the Wolverines' point guard and steered them to the NCAA final.

7. Sacramento Kings  Alex Len, C, Maryland: The Ukrainian Len might have more potential than Burke, but New Orleans could afford to pass on him with Anthony Davis in the middle. Sacramento also has a talented center from Kentucky on its roster, but I believe DeMarcus Cousins has the skills to slide to power forward and play alongside the Terrapins' skilled big man.

8. Detroit Pistons  Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse: The Pistons need a true point guard to run their offense and get the ball to promising big men Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. Brandon Knight is not that guy, but Carter-Williams might be, and his size would allow Detroit to shift Knight to shooting guard.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves  Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia: Kevin Love gives Minnesota a building-block player in the frontcourt, and Ricky Rubio remains loaded with potential as a playmaker at the point. The Wolves could complement them with a prolific scorer on the wing, and Caldwell-Pope, the SEC Player of the Year, fits that description perfectly.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (from Charlotte)  C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh: Portland nabbed Damian Lillard, a prolific scorer from a small school (Weber State), in last year's draft, and it worked out pretty well. He was a unanimous choice as Rookie of the Year. McCollum brings similar credentials and would also make a nice complement in the Trail Blazers' backcourt.

11. Philadelphia 76ers  Cody Zeller, PF/C, Indiana: The 76ers needs a true center to make them forget about the mess that was Andrew Bynum. But they need someone who can help now even more. Zeller will do that even if he's more suited to play as a stretch four.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Toronto via Houston)  Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh: Unlike the 76ers, the Thunder can be patient while waiting for Adams to develop. The 7-foot New Zealander has impressive athleticism but only averaged 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds with the Panthers.

13. Dallas Mavericks  Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany: Mike James, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois are headed toward free agency, leaving Dallas thin at the point. The Mavericks needed to upgrade there anyway with a player who can get into the lane, and Schroeder is billed as one of the draft's best penetrators.

14. Utah Jazz  Shane Larkin, PG, Miami: The Jazz are another team with a need at point guard. They aren't in love with anyone outside of McCollum, Burke and Carter-Williams. But they should still take Larkin, who has great quickness and can shoot with range.

15. Milwaukee Bucks  Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA: There are, no doubt, analysts who will say this is too high to take Muhammad, even though he was once considered a potential top-five pick. But I think he brings good value as one of the draft's best scorers. Milwaukee will need that with Monta Ellis opting out of his contract.

16. Boston Celtics  Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga: Boston is set to begin renovating its roster, and adding a 7-footer with good offensive skills is never a bad thing, even if Olynyk isn't overly physical and has struggled to rebound.

17. Atlanta Hawks  Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia: The Hawks are also starting to rebuild with new General Manager Danny Ferry. The sharpshooting 6-7 Karasev could be a nice addition. He's said to be polished enough to help right away.

18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston via Brooklyn)  Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Greece: If Atlanta gets immediate help with the 17th pick, it can afford to gamble on an intriguing prospect like the 6-9 Antetokounmpo, who could be years away from contributing.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from L.A. Lakers)  Reggie Bullock, SF, North Carolina: I know I've got Cleveland already taking one small forward with Porter at No. 1, but I think Bullock would be a nice addition here because of his ability to shoot (43.6 percent from 3-point range last season).

20. Chicago Bulls  Allen Crabbe, SG, California: Chicago has seemed to have a perpetual need to add more scoring on the perimeter. Crabbe, a 6-6 guard with good range, averaged 18.4 points last season and could pair nicely alongside Derrickk Rose.

21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State via Brooklyn)  Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil: With Al Jefferson on the way out, Utah could use a young big man. Nogueira is said to be raw offensively but has potential as a rim-protector.

22. Brooklyn Nets  Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville: The Nets are talented offensively with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez. They could stand to get tougher defensively, and Dieng's talents as a shot-blocker would help a lot.

23. Indiana Pacers  Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State: The Eastern Conference finals showed the Pacers need to upgrade their bench. Bolstering their depth at the point behind George Hill wouldn't hurt. Canaan can run the offense while providing some scoring punch.

24. New York Knicks  Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State: With J.R. Smith heading for free agency, the Knicks need help off the ball in the backcourt. Franklin can't replace Smith, but he is a slasher who averaged 17 points the past two seasons.

25. Los Angeles Clippers  Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Michigan: The Clippers are trying to win now and could use a player who can join the rotation right away. Hardaway is a veteran guard with the ability to create his own shot.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Houston)  Mason Plumlee, PF/C Duke: If Minnesota takes Caldwell-Pope at No. 9, it should look to add another piece to its frontcourt. Plumlee would be great value if he's still around. He's athletic, owns a dependable midrange jumper and can rebound.

27. Denver Nuggets  Tony Snell, SF, New Mexico: Andre Iguodala's set to become a free agent. Snell brings similar size and could take some of his minutes. He needs to get stronger but is a good shooter.

28. San Antonio Spurs  Rudy Gobert, C, France: I just expect the Spurs to look at international players. The 7-2 Gobert could provide needed youth and depth on the frontline, but he could also remain in Europe  and off the books  for extra seasoning.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder  Ricky Ledo, SG, Providence: Once again, I think the Thunder are in a position to gamble a bit and can take Ledo, an intriguing offensive talent who was ineligible during his only season at Providence. Maybe he turns out to be the shot-creating 2-guard the team missed after trading James Harden.

30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami via L.A. Lakers and Cleveland)  Tony Mitchell, SF, North Texas: If the Suns get a sure-thing in Oladipo at No. 5, they should go for the player with the most potential with the last pick of the first round. That's Mitchell, once considered a lottery pick before slumping during his sophomore season.